“Stop! You totally look hot. You are going to have the boys drooling all over you.” An evil little smile lit Cassie’s face, and she tugged at Jessica’s arm, pulling her toward the bathroom. “This is going to be a good night. A very good night. Now, take the dress off so we can work on your hair and makeup.”
“Cass, seriously, I don’t want too much. I’ll just pull my hair back into a ponytail. I know you have goals for tonight, but those are not my goals.”
“You look smokin’ hot in that dress. There is no way I’m going to let you wear your hair in a ponytail. Nope. It’s not happening.” She produced a large flat brush and began to stroke it through Jessica’s hair. The bristles stuck in Jessica’s curls every few inches.
“Ouch.” Jessica huffed as she reached back trying to rescue her hair. “You don’t have to be so rough.”
“That’s what you’ll hopefully be saying tonight at the party.” Cassie started giggling.
Chapter Three
Jessica could hear the music from a block down the road. Other students from their high school were milling aimlessly around the street. It was only a little after nine, but even in the darkness, it was obvious some of them had already had a few drinks as they stumbled around near the parked cars.
“Whoa! You probably should sit down.” Jessica caught a girl she immediately recognized from several of her classes. “Hey, Beth. Beth? Can you hear me?” She grabbed Beth’s face. A street light a short distance away provided a hint of light. Beth’s eyes shone as she tried to focus on Jessica.
“Yeah? What do you want?” Beth finally mumbled, her head drooping forward. “I just need to find my keys.”
“Beth, you’re not driving. Do you have a ride home?” Jessica asked, looking up and down the street for anyone who might be with the girl.
“Shhh. My parents think I’m asleep in my room.” Beth giggled as she pressed her pointer finger to her lips. “This was the best party ever. Did you have fun?”
“Beth, do you want me to drive you home?” Jessica knew she probably shouldn’t have even asked the question, and just pushed Beth into her car instead. “I really think I should. You don’t look like you’re in any condition to drive right now.”
Beth’s head snapped back to look at Jessica. Her eyes seemed to focus a little bit better. “Hey, you’re Jessica Rodriguez. Right? You’re the cheerleader. Give me an—”
“Yep, that’s me, and you’re Beth Anne Nichols.”
“That’s awesome! I’m so excited to see you here tonight. School has been so great. Don’t you think?” Beth slurred excitedly. Her movements seemed clumsy, and finally Jessica reached down to put her arms under hers.
“Seriously, I think I’m going to take you home,” Jessica said, coaxing Beth toward her car.
“All right. I guess that would be a good thing,” Beth suddenly sounded defeated. “I don’t feel very good right now. It weirdly feels like everything is spinning. Do you think the Earth is moving right now?”
Cassie looked over at Jessica, her mouth open wide. “What are you doing?”
“I’ll be back in just a few minutes. I promise. This won’t take me very long. I don’t think Beth needs to be left alone on a dark sidewalk to find her missing keys.” Jessica shrugged. She knew her answer wouldn’t sit well with Cassie.
“She’s not our problem,” Cassie said, crossing her arms over her chest. “Just leave the stupid drunk here. We’ve got our own plans.”
“Cass, go inside. I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Jessica said as she tried to guide Beth into her sister’s older-model Toyota Camry.
Beth began to giggle uncontrollably as she fell into the front passenger seat.
“Beth, the Earth is spinning, but what you’re feeling right now has nothing to do with that and more to do with what you drank tonight. By the way, where do you live?” Jessica asked, before running around the front hood and jumping into the driver’s seat. She sincerely hoped she could get this errand over with quickly.
“In a blue house,” Beth responded, a goofy look on her face. “Like the blue of the planet Earth.”
Great, another Earth comment.
“Any idea what street that blue house might be located on?” Jessica hoped Beth might come to her senses and be able to provide this important piece of information.
“Umm…it starts with a P.”
Jessica shook her head. “Beth, that doesn’t help me.”
“Point Lena. Yes, that’s it. Point Lena,” Beth said, falling backward onto Jessica’s seat. “Cheerleader Jessica, I’m just going to close my eyes for a little bit.”
“Okay. You do that.” Jessica was glad to hear Beth would be quiet. She didn’t really want to talk anymore with her.
Jessica turned her car onto the main road. Dozens of headlights passed her as she headed back toward town and Beth’s street. It took less than five minutes for Jessica to make the trip. Sure enough, there was a blue house right in the middle of Point Lena. She had never really noticed it before, but she was positive she wouldn’t forget it.
“This must be your house,” Jessica said, nudging Beth.
Slowly, Beth opened her eyes, giving Jessica a groggy look. She glanced out at the large house that loomed off to the side, and then back to Jessica. “Thank you. I really appreciate this.” She groaned. “My parents are going to kill me.”
“Sorry.” Jessica leaned over and tried to open the passenger door, but it hardly budged. She probably should have said something else, but that was the only word that had come to mind. “Hold on. I’ll go around and open the door from the outside.” She jumped out and ran around to open the door for Beth.
“Thank you, Cheerleader Jessica. I really mean it.”
Just as the last words left her mouth, Beth leaned over and puked out what must have been at least two days’ worth of food all over the bottom of the car.
Even in the darkness, Jessica could tell the entire floor mat was covered in vomit. The pungent smell caused her to dry-heave. She put her hand to her mouth to try and stop any additional movement.
Beth looked up with a puppy-dog expression. “I am so, so, so sorry. I promise, I will clean your car out tomorrow.”
Jessica let out a deep sigh. With a weak smile and shrug, she said, “It’s okay.”
Beth wiggled out of the front seat, but before she got too far up the drive, Jessica reached into her car and pulled out the mat.
“Take this with you. Just throw it in one of your trash cans. I think it’s a goner.”
Beth stared blankly. Jessica could tell she was trying to grasp what Jessica had said. Slowly, Beth turned and stumbled up the set of concrete steps that led to her front door. Jessica watched as she rang her doorbell, and then she took off. She really didn’t want to talk to Beth’s parents.
Chapter Four
The trip back to the party took a little longer. The street was now full of cars. Jessica rolled down the Camry’s windows and parked on a small area of grass she found toward the end of the street.
Hopefully, this night would now get a little better. She could hear music and laughter coming from the house. Students were huddled everywhere in groups of three or four, holding cups full of beer, and any other liquor they’d managed to get their hands on. Jessica weaved her way through the throng of familiar faces. All of them were laughing and having a good time. She knew Cassie was probably somewhere in the middle of the room. She always liked to be the life of the party. The smell of marijuana made Jessica feel like dry heaving again. Slowly, she inched her way to the back of the house.
The fresh air tickled her nose. Maybe she should just leave. After all, she didn’t really want to be here. As she rounded the corner, she came face to face with Andrew. Even in the darkness, she could see his chiseled features. He looked just as surprised as she felt.
“Hey there,” he said with a big grin on his face.
“Hey there back. What are you doing out here?” Jessica replied. She looked past him to see who else might be
standing there, but she soon found out they were alone.
“I had to get out of that house. The smell was too strong for me.”
“Me too,” she quickly responded.
“Do you want to walk with me over near the river? Maybe, if we’re lucky, we’ll see the moon.” He grabbed for her hand and pulled her in the direction of the water.
“All right. I guess I really have nothing better to do than to hang out with you tonight, Andrew Montgomery.” She let out a little laugh as she let him lead her. She shook slightly from his touch.
He suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned back toward her. A goofy grin lit his face. “I know you were hoping to see me tonight. I’m right…aren’t I?”
“Well, I figured I would see you at some point, because of Cassie.”
He put up a hand to stop her from talking. “Let’s not bring her up.”
“Okay. But at some point we need to talk,” Jessica said softly, shaking her head. She was frustrated. There was obvious chemistry between her and Andrew, yet they both continued to play this game.
“Not tonight.” Andrew’s hand squeezed a little tighter around hers, and Jessica felt like her heart might pop out of her chest.
They strolled past a large tree, and Jessica could hear the sound of water softly brushing against the shore. It was peaceful. She smiled softly to herself.
“This looks like a good spot,” Andrew said, sitting down on an old log.
“Okay,” Jessica said, sitting next to him. She hoped he couldn’t feel her hands nervously shake, but she couldn’t help it, being so close to Andrew did this to her. “What do you want to talk about?”
She looked out toward the silvery water. It glistened in the moonlight. She was surprised there weren’t more students down here, but she figured most were probably still inside the house or out front somewhere.
Andrew draped his muscular arm over her shoulders. “I’m glad it was you who came outside tonight.”
“Well, it was pretty thick in there.” Jessica pointed toward the house. As she turned back, she misgauged the distance between them, and suddenly her lips caressed his. She swiftly pulled back, embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I hadn’t planned to do that. I promise. I was just turning back around.”
“I know. It was my fault. I leaned in towards you.”
Jessica bit down on her bottom lip. “Oh. I didn’t realize that.” Then his soft lips once again touched hers. She let them linger on her mouth for several seconds before pulling away. “Andrew, we can’t do this tonight.”
“I know,” he responded half-heartedly.
“We promised we wouldn’t do this again.”
“I know. After tonight, I promise to never look at you again. Except, of course, in the school hallway,” Andrew pleaded with her.
Six months ago, they had both been at another party, and had somehow ended up kissing. At the time, they’d both sworn it had been a mistake. Now, here they were again.
Andrew slowly began to caress her cheek, before moving his fingers down her neck.
Jessica stood, trying to clear her head. Andrew rose too, and leaned back in toward her. She hesitated for a moment, before her lips found his. Hungrily, she kissed him back.
Andrew pulled her close, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as they stood kissing in the glow of the moonlight.
His mouth was warm and inviting, causing every nerve in her body to tingle. Finally, she pulled back, and they looked longingly into each other’s eyes.
“I really like you, Andrew Montgomery. I’m glad you found me tonight.”
They spent the next hour with each other near the river bank. It was a magical evening.
“It’s getting late. I guess we should attempt to put ourselves back together and then get out of here.” Andrew helped her up.
“Does my hair look okay, or does it look crazy?” Jessica tried to smooth down her curls. If it had been in a ponytail, she probably wouldn’t have had to ask this question right now, but Cassie had insisted.
“Uh, you’ve got a few leaves sticking out in different places.” He began to pick at her hair.
“Really? Get them out for me!” Jessica shrieked with a hint of laughter in her voice.
Andrew smiled, and then wrapped his arms around her. “I’m kidding. I wouldn’t let you walk back inside with leaves and dirt in your hair. That would be a little too obvious.” He reached over and turned her face toward his. “Before we go back inside, I want to show you something.”
“What?”
“It’s in my car.”
“Okay,” Jessica said as Andrew led them back towards the blaring music. The night had seemed almost surreal. It would definitely go down as one of her most special events in high school. She had kissed Andrew Montgomery, and now he wanted to show her something. She didn’t know whether or not to pinch herself. Could this really be happening?
Andrew pulled out his keys and hit the button to unlock the doors. “Wait right here. It will take me a second to find it.” He opened the door and rifled around on the backseat. Several seconds later, he emerged holding a large spiral notepad.
“What’s that?”
“It’s my sketchbook.”
“Really? You draw?”
“Yeah, but don’t tell anyone,” he said, opening the spiral-bound book and flipping several pages. “Here it is.”
Andrew turned the page toward Jessica. She tried to figure out the drawing, and then she smiled.
“Is this in science class?” she asked, staring at the picture of herself. It was unbelievable. Andrew had done an amazing sketch of her.
“Yes. It was the other day, during the test.” He scratched the back of his head.
“How did you have time to do this?” Jessica stared at herself. “It’s amazing. You’re amazing.”
“I did a rough sketch in class and filled it in later,” he said, looking down at his artwork. “It’s always easy for me to draw something I have a passion for, or really find captivating.”
Jessica let out a soft snort. “I’m not captivating.”
“You are to me.”
She paused as reality set in. “Andrew, what if Cassie saw this?”
“She’d be pretty angry, but I don’t care anymore. I’m over it. We’re about to graduate.”
“Andrew, I really, really like you, but we can’t be more than friends. Cassie would never speak to me again, and I’m not sure I want to spend the last few months of high school having to deal with her wrath. I’ve worked too hard to have a good reputation and friends. This town is too small for enemies.”
Andrew leaned down and softly kissed her neck. “But you would have me.”
“For now, but eventually you would get bored. Remember, I’m not Cassie. I’m not the life of the party.”
He chuckled. “I know. That’s what I like the most about you.” He paused, and then drew her face close to his. “Don’t you get it? I like you too, Jessica Rodriguez. So much so that it hurts.”
Jessica pulled back and smoothed down her dress. “We’d better get inside before someone sees us.”
“They’re all drunk. No one will care.” Andrew grabbed her hands and tugged her back toward him.
“Andrew. Please. We can’t do this anymore,” Jessica pleaded, and turned to walk back to the house. She heard Andrew close the car door and follow.
Laughter erupted from somewhere in the yard. Jessica tried to see who was standing out there, hoping no one would notice her, but there was no missing her best friend’s high-pitched squeal.
“Jessica? Jessica, is that you?” Cassie loudly slurred her words as she lurched forward.
“Yes.” Jessica watched Cassie stumble over a rock and stifled her laughter.
“It’s about time you made it back to the party. See, I told you not to take that stupid girl home. She ruined our night of fun,” Cassie sounded almost upset.
“She needed a ride. Just like you will when I take you home,” Jessica responded dryly.
She loved her best friend, but there were so many times when Cassie seriously annoyed her.
“It’s a good thing you’re driving tonight.” Cassie wrapped one of her arms around Jessica’s neck. “I love you, Jess. I’m so glad we met in elementary school. Best friends forever. Right?”
It was almost as if Cassie were purring into Jessica’s neck. Most people would find that unusual, but Jessica knew it was just part of the charm of being Cassie’s friend.
“I know.” Jessica looked at the ground. She was ready to get out of here. “I love you too, Cass. Best friends forever.”
“That’s good.” Cassie rested her head on Jessica’s shoulder as the two walked in unison toward the roadway.
“Cassie, are you ready to go?” Jessica asked. Cassie was thin, but on this night, Jessica felt like she was lugging several large bags of potatoes.
Cassie’s head popped up and her eyes narrowed. “What? But you just got here. The party just started, Jess. This is our moment.”
“Uh. No. I’ve been here for a while. I was inside, and then sitting out back. I’m going to leave in a few minutes.” She had enjoyed getting to spend time with Andrew, but she was starting to regret what they had done. She had betrayed her closest friend.
“Fine.” Cassie huffed, obviously irritated. “What time is it, anyway?”
“It’s almost midnight.” Jessica pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Crrrrrraaap. I missed my curfew. My dad’s going to be pissed again,” Cassie slurred as she slumped closer to Jessica. “I guess we should go. Besides, it’s getting lame.”
Jessica hoisted her friend and turned to look back toward Andrew. “Can you help me with her?”
Andrew rolled his eyes. “Come on, Cass.” He grabbed her other arm and slung it around his neck.
Cassie’s head snapped around as if she was suddenly alert. “Andrew, is that you? Where have you been all night?”
Andrew shrugged. “I’ve just been hanging around. It was a good party.”
“I’ve missed you, babe.” Her head fell onto his shoulder.
Stay Forever Page 2